Method of preparing leather outsoles for boots and shoes



May 15,1928. a 1,669,987

Er]. CHAPELLE METHOD OF PREPARING LE ATH ER OUTSOLES FOR BOOTS AND SHOES Filed Aug. 1, 1927 w xidm Patented May 15, 1928.

. umraa srarasi sa a les ee r mama emma QUTSIE$FQR Ba es elva aoe Application filed August '1, 1927. SeriaI No. 209,912..

The term shoe occurring in the, specification and in the claim is to be. interpreted to include the term. boot. My novel meth d; invention relates to an, mp oreme t n met od of. P r n leather outsoles for boots and shoes, or out .9 s blanks, hav r i i s enda fle side and relates more. particularly to leather outsoles of this character intended for Goodyear welt shoes or shoes of that-type. In its broadest aspect, however, my invention and this patent are intended to cover and do cover the practice of the method upon leather outsoles of the character described adapted to any type or kind of shoes. I

To provide an elevation at the little toe side of a shoe-bottom is well recognized as advantageous in view of eliminating the evil tendency of the foot rolling towards the little toe side of the shoe; and to thus provide for a shoe-bottom is now proposed. A leather outsole is generally recognized as being the most satisfactory; and a leather outsole having a grain side and a flesh side is ordinarily fleshed preparatory to sole lay- 'ing i. e., a portion of its flesh side is removed equally all over its plane face.

My novel method has for objective the Working of a leather outsole having a grain side and a flesh side to a bevel shape, from its little toe side to its great toe side without disadvantageously detracting from the grain part of the leather, in skiving a portion ofi the flesh side of a leather outsole from its little toe side to its great toe side to predetermined degrees of bevel and thickness of edge; and in reducing, preferably from the grain side, its thicker marginal portion at its little toe side to substantially the predetermined thickness of its thinner marginal portion at its great toe side, to bringabout substantially the same thickness of edge at both lateral sides of the outsole.

In accordance with my invention, the degree of the bevel in the leather outsole and the thickness of the out-sole edge in the finished shoe have to be predetermined in ac cord with the kind or type of shoe to whic the outsole is to be applied.

As shown in the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a leather outsole worked in accordance with the practice of my novel method.

Fig. 2 s a cross-section of my outsole,

After having determined the degree of the bevel required in the outsole and the thlckness of the outsole edge required in the. finished sl1oe,,I provide aleather outsole 1,

of adaptable thickness and having a grainand a flesh side, and I bevel the outsole on its flesh side, by skiiving off a" portion thereof from its little toe. side to its great. j i a s n it-2, F g- 22 e a de of bevel suitable for bringing about; the predetermined thicknessof outsole-edge for the predetermined thickness of edge in the finished shoe. I then reduce preferably by rabbeting, preferably on the grain side,. about one quarter of an inch in width, the thicker marginal portion of the outsole at the little toe side and, preferably, from the heel-breast line to the toe-end to substantially the predetermined thickness of the outsole at its marginal portion at the great toe side, as shown at 3; andI, preferably, form the ordinary stitch receiving groove 4, along the peripheral margin portion of the outsole at the great toe side.

In the case of a shoe of the Goodyear weltv type, the beveling of the outsole would take place preferably while the out-sole was in blank form preparatory toapplying the same to the shoe. 7

Experience has proven that for best re sults the bevel elevation should be located, as herein shown, outwardly of the outsole so as to be outwardly of the shoe-bottom; but it could be located inwardly of the outsole of a welt shoe with advantageous results also. Then it were better to reduce the thickermarginal portion of the outsole Y on its flesh side and further from'the edge and extend the operation to around the heel, as herein shown extended around the toe, so as to have the edge of the bevelwithin the inseam and within the edges of the counter and upper at the heel-seat of the shoe.

A leather outsole of the character described may be reduced at its little toe side as herein proposed-by any known means and at any suitable time; and in the case of awelt shoe it is believed that the ordinary rough rounding machine, provided with a suitable knife, could reduce the peripheral margin portion at the little toe side of the outsole as herein shown while performing its customary work.

In beveling the outsole from the flesh side the grain part is intact; the ordinary fleshing operation is dispensed with; and the removed leather may be used in'the making of heel-lifts and heel-rands.

Prior to heeling a shoe embodying an outsole prepared as herein shown, a tiny piece of the leather discarded in reducing the marginal portion of the'outsole at the little toe side could be advantageously tacked to the little toe side at the heel-breast line to fill in the reduced margin portion of the olutsole under the heel to be applied to the s we.

Having thus explainedthe nature of my method invention and shown the best form of practicing the same now known to me, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

That method of preparing a leather outsole for a shoe, which consists in providing a leather outsole having a flesh'side and a grain side and of a thickness adapted to bring about a predetermined degree of bevel in theoutsole and a predetermined thickness of edge inth-e finished shoe, in beveling the outsole from its little toe side to its great toe side by removing from its flesh side a portion thereof, to bring about the predetermined degree of bevelin the outsole and the predetermined thickness of edge in the finished shoe, and in reduc-ing its thicker peripheral margin portion at its little toe side to substantially the predetermined thickness of its thinner peripheral margin portion at its great toe side. I

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

EUCLID I. LA CHAPELLE, 

